Why So Many Wooden Pallettes Being Thrown Out ? How Wasteful !

[DMF]

There seems to be increasing numbers of wooden palettes, used for packing & shipping, being discarded, rather than re-use. Most are fresh wood, so I wonder about the timber industry: As if there's an endless supply of trees to be cut down, and wood must then be dirt cheap these days. They pile up in our city alleyways. Sometimes they're collected then I guess maybe re-used or taken apart. Who knows?

 

[not_James_Bond]

Why don't they recycle plastics and make pallets from them, or metal pallets?
These would last a long, long time and ultimately leave the trees to enjoy

The production of pallets accounts for 43% of hardwood and 15% of softwood usage in the U.S.

 

[Dave Clark]

You would think that the pallets would be desirable for the wood industry to make press board, and whatever wood chips and shavings can be used for.

 

[LucyL]

I don't think wood pallets are as benign as they appear - there are probably reasons why they aren't recycled.
J&J Expands Benadryl and Tylenol Recall Over Wood Pallet Contamination

 

[Dave Clark]

I don't think wood pallets are as benign as they appear - there are probably reasons why they aren't recycled.
J&J Expands Benadryl and Tylenol Recall Over Wood Pallet Contamination

That makes sense, they probably treat to prevent the pallets from rotting due to insects like carpenter bees and ants, etc. Years ago they used to treat pressure treated lumber with copper arsenate for that same reason, until lumber used in playgrounds, etc. leached the chemicals onto children and made them sick. I think it is outlawed for use now.